Friday, April 03, 2009

A NICE DAY IN MAQUOKETA.....SUNNY AND AROUND 50. BUT, SNOW IS COMING
BEFORE THE WEEKEND IS OVER.

MAQUOKETA MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL AUTUMN PINO HAS RESIGNED TO TAKE A POSITION AT PLEASANT VALLEY, AS ASSOCIATE HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL.
SHE WILL LEAVE MAQUOKETA AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, AND WILL
END HER STAY HERE AT 4 YEARS.

THE CITY OF MAQUOKETA HAS APPLIED FOR A HALF MILLION DOLLAR GRANT
TO INSTALL SOLAR PANELS AND A WIND TURBINE AT THE MAQUOKETA AREA
FAMILY YMCA. WOULD SAVE BIG DOLLARS, INCLUDING COST OF HEATING THE BIG POOL.

THE CLINTON ENGINES MUSEUM WAS RECENTLY NAMED ONE OF FOUR OUTSTANDING PROJECTS IN THE IOWA GREAT PLACES PROGRAM.
ANOTHER WAS THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER MUSEUM AND AQUARIUM IN DUBUQUE.
THE $1.2 MILLION DOLLAR BUILDING NOT ONLY SERVES AS A CLINTON ENGINES MUSEUM, BUT ALSO IS THE HOME OF THE JACKSON COUNTY RESEARCH LIBRARY AND GENEALOGICAL CHAPTER PLUS THE IOWA ORPHAN TRAIN INFORMATION IS ALSO HOUSED IN THE MUSEUM. LIKE THE INTERPRETIVE CENTER, IT IS OPEN DAILY AND WEEKENDS AND SHOULD BE ON YOUR LIST OF PLACES TO VISIT. THERE IS
A SLIGHT ADMISSION. MUSEUM CURATOR BONNIE MITCHELL AND HER HUSBAND, GENERAL CHARLES MITCHELL REPRESENTED JACKSON COUNTY IN THE
GREAT PLACES CULTURAL ADVOCACY DAY IN DES MOINES RECENTLY.
CHARLES, ALONG WITH HISTORICAL SOCIETY PRESIDENT ASHER SCHROEDER,
SPEARHEADED THE SAVING OF THE OLD CLINTON ENGINES BUILDING AND
THE EFFORT AND FUND RAISING TO MAKE IT THE GREAT MUSEUM IT IS TODAY.
NOW, IT IS NICE TO HAVE THE DESIGNATION AS ONE OF THE TOP 4 OUTSTANDING PROJECTS IN THE IOWA GREAT LAKES PROGRAM.

THE LEGENDARY GLENN MILLER ORCHESTRA, LED BY MUSICAL DIRECTOR LARRY O'BRIEN, WILL BE PERFORMING AT OHNWARD FINE ARTS CENTER ON SATURDAY, APRIL 25TH AT 7 P.M. ADVANCE TICKETS ARE $25 FOR ADULTS AND $10 FOR STUDENTS AND ARE AVAILABLE AT OSTERHAUS PHARMACY.

IN MY REPORT TODAY(OR WITH PHOTO BELOW) , I MENTIONED: THE NEW YMCA, THE NEW OHNWARD FINE ARTS CENTER, THE NEW HURSTVILLE INTERPRETIVE CENTER AND THE NEW CLINTON ENGINES MUSEUM. ADD THE NEW HIGH SCHOOL GYM AND YOU HAVE WAY OVER $10 MILLIONS DOLLARS WORTH OF NEW OR NEARLY NEW ADDITIONS TO OUR CITY TO MAKE MAQUOKETANS PROUD. NOT MANY COUNTY SEAT TOWNS CAN SHOW OFF ADDITIONS LIKE THESE.

HAVE A GOOD WEEKEND.

DENNIS VOY

THERE IS A NEW EXHIBIT AT THE HURSTVILLE INTERPRETIVE CENTER....."ANIMALS AMONG US"......A TRAVELING EXHIBIT FROM THE OLD CAPITOL MUSEUM AT THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA. IT ARRIVED APRIL 1ST AND WILL BE THERE UNTIL MAY 25TH. THERE ARE ANSWERS TO THESE AND OTHER QUESTIONS: WHERE DO YOU FIND ANIMALS IN THE CITY? HOW DO ANIMALS SERVE THE ECONOMY? WHAT PLACE DO THEY PLAY IN PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERNS? WHAT ROLLS ANIMALS
WILL PLAY IN THE IOWA OF TOMORROW. A FREE EXHIBIT TO BE ENJOYED BY ALL AGES, ESPECIALLY THE KIDS. CLICK ON TO THE PICTURE ABOVE TO ENLARGE IT.
THE HURSTVILLE INTERPRETIVE CENTER IS THE BEAUTIFUL BUILDING JUST NORTH OF MAQUOKETA, SURRONDED BY THE WETLANDS AND THE FISHING POND ACROSS THE HIGHWAY. IT IS OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK. A NICE GIFT SHOP TOO.
PUT IT ON YOUR LIST OF PLACES TO VISIT SOON. THE BUILDING IS ALSO THE
TOURIST INFORMATION CENTER FOR THIS AREA AND IS THE HOME FOR OFFICES OF JACKSON COUNTY CONSERVATION.
DENNIS VOY